lequebecfume
04-19-2010, 07:55 PM
Majority of Canadians Would Legalize Cannabis, But Not Other Drugs
TWO-IN-FIVE RESPONDENTS BELIEVE CANADA HAS A SERIOUS DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
PUBLISHED ON APR 15 - 2010
The views of Canadians on the legalization of marijuana have not shifted over the past two years, with a majority of respondents calling for the substance to be readily available, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,010 Canadian adults, two-in-five respondents (42%, -2 since May 2008) believe Canada has a serious drug abuse problem that affects the whole country.
A similar proportion of Canadians (40%, +5) think the country’s drug abuse problem is confined to specific areas and people. Roughly one-in-ten Canadians (11%, -4) believe Canada does not have a serious drug abuse problem.
Government Proposals
Many Canadians side with two proposals to deal with drug abuse that have been outlined by the federal government over the past four years: the introduction of a National Anti-Drug Strategy, including a nationwide awareness campaign to discourage young Canadians from using drugs (83%) and the plan to ensure mandatory minimum prison sentences and large fines for marijuana grow operators and drug dealers (70%).
However, just over a third of Canadians (36%) agree with two other ideas: scrapping the previous government’s marijuana decriminalization legislation and eliminating “harm reduction” programs, such as supervised injection sites and needle-exchange programs.
Legalization
As was the case two years ago, a majority of Canadians (53%) support the legalization of marijuana. People in British Columbia (61%), Alberta (59%) and Ontario (57%) hold the highest level of support for the legalization of cannabis.
Less than one-in-ten respondents believe other drugs—such as ecstasy, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine or “crystal meth”—should be legalized. In fact, when the numbers are compared to the May 2008 Angus Reid survey, support for the legalization of these drugs has fallen by at least three percentage points in each case.
Analysis
A high proportion of Canadians are in favour of two of the measures proposed by the current federal government to curb drug abuse in Canada. However, just like in 2008, marijuana is in a class of its own. While the level of support for the legalization of so-called “hard drugs” is negligible—and actually dropped further since the 2008 Angus Reid survey—a majority of Canadians have no qualms about making cannabis legal.
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010.04.15_Drugs_CAN.pdf
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
Methodology:
From April 8 to April 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,010 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
http://www.visioncritical.com/2010/04/majority-of-canadians-would-legalize-marijuana-but-not-other-drugs/
LEQ
With thanks to Kirk Towsaw as the Newshawk for this
TWO-IN-FIVE RESPONDENTS BELIEVE CANADA HAS A SERIOUS DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
PUBLISHED ON APR 15 - 2010
The views of Canadians on the legalization of marijuana have not shifted over the past two years, with a majority of respondents calling for the substance to be readily available, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,010 Canadian adults, two-in-five respondents (42%, -2 since May 2008) believe Canada has a serious drug abuse problem that affects the whole country.
A similar proportion of Canadians (40%, +5) think the country’s drug abuse problem is confined to specific areas and people. Roughly one-in-ten Canadians (11%, -4) believe Canada does not have a serious drug abuse problem.
Government Proposals
Many Canadians side with two proposals to deal with drug abuse that have been outlined by the federal government over the past four years: the introduction of a National Anti-Drug Strategy, including a nationwide awareness campaign to discourage young Canadians from using drugs (83%) and the plan to ensure mandatory minimum prison sentences and large fines for marijuana grow operators and drug dealers (70%).
However, just over a third of Canadians (36%) agree with two other ideas: scrapping the previous government’s marijuana decriminalization legislation and eliminating “harm reduction” programs, such as supervised injection sites and needle-exchange programs.
Legalization
As was the case two years ago, a majority of Canadians (53%) support the legalization of marijuana. People in British Columbia (61%), Alberta (59%) and Ontario (57%) hold the highest level of support for the legalization of cannabis.
Less than one-in-ten respondents believe other drugs—such as ecstasy, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine or “crystal meth”—should be legalized. In fact, when the numbers are compared to the May 2008 Angus Reid survey, support for the legalization of these drugs has fallen by at least three percentage points in each case.
Analysis
A high proportion of Canadians are in favour of two of the measures proposed by the current federal government to curb drug abuse in Canada. However, just like in 2008, marijuana is in a class of its own. While the level of support for the legalization of so-called “hard drugs” is negligible—and actually dropped further since the 2008 Angus Reid survey—a majority of Canadians have no qualms about making cannabis legal.
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010.04.15_Drugs_CAN.pdf
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
Methodology:
From April 8 to April 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,010 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
http://www.visioncritical.com/2010/04/majority-of-canadians-would-legalize-marijuana-but-not-other-drugs/
LEQ
With thanks to Kirk Towsaw as the Newshawk for this